Security camera drone base station detection

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer-storage media, for drone base station detection. In some implementations, a drone including a camera that is configured to generate image data and one or more processors and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable. The instructions include receiving the image data from the camera, identifying at least four objects in the image data, determining a first distance between a first object and a second object, determining a second distance between a third object and a fourth object, determining a third distance between the second object and the third object, and based on the first distance, the second distance, and the third distance, determining a location of the drone.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A drone comprising:
 a camera that is configured to generate image data; and 
 one or more processors and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more processors, to cause performance of operations comprising:
 maintaining, in memory and for two or more drone base stations, (i) first data that represents predetermined patterns of a plurality of objects that can be displayed on the respective base station and indicate a service offered by the respective base station and (ii) second data for an identity of the respective base station, the two or more drone base stations each corresponding to a predetermined pattern from two or more predetermined patterns, a first predetermined pattern from the two or more predetermined patterns being a different pattern than a second predetermined pattern from the two or more predetermined patterns; 
 receiving, from the camera, the image data representing a drone base station; 
 detecting an orientation of two or more objects on the drone base station arranged in a pattern; 
 in response to detecting the orientation of the two or more objects on the drone base station arranged in the pattern, determining a predetermined pattern for the drone base station by comparing, for at least one of the two or more predetermined patterns and using the maintained first data and the orientation of the two or more objects, the orientation of the two or more objects in the pattern to a predetermined orientation of corresponding objects from the respective predetermined pattern; 
 determining, from a plurality of identities for base stations that have a corresponding pattern from the two or more predetermined patterns, an identity of the drone base station using the predetermined pattern for the drone base station; and 
 navigating the drone using the identity of the drone base station. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The drone of  claim 1 , wherein:
 maintaining the data in memory and for the two or more drone base stations comprises maintaining, for at least some of the two or more drone base stations, fourth data that indicates a geographic location for the respective base station, wherein navigating the drone using the identity of the drone base station comprises: 
 determining, using the fourth data, a location of the drone based on the identity of the drone base station and the geographic location of the identified base station. 
 
     
     
       3. The drone of  claim 1 , wherein the two or more objects are located along a straight line. 
     
     
       4. The drone of  claim 1 , wherein navigating the drone using the identity of the drone base station comprises:
 determining a pose of the drone based on the identity of the drone base station and a stored location of the identified base station. 
 
     
     
       5. The drone of  claim 1 , wherein the two or more objects on the drone base station arranged in the pattern include lights. 
     
     
       6. The drone of  claim 5 , wherein the lights are light emitting diodes (LEDs). 
     
     
       7. The drone of  claim 5 , wherein the pattern includes one or more locations of the lights and one or more colors of the lights. 
     
     
       8. A drone comprising:
 a camera that is configured to generate image data; and 
 one or more processors and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more processors, to cause performance of operations comprising:
 maintaining, in memory and for two or more drone base stations, (i) first data that represents predetermined patterns of a plurality of objects that can be displayed on the respective base station and indicate a service offered by the respective base station and (ii) second data for an identity of the respective base station, the two or more drone base stations each corresponding to a predetermined pattern from two or more predetermined patterns, a first predetermined pattern from the two or more predetermined patterns being a different pattern than a second predetermined pattern from the two or more predetermined patterns; 
 receiving, from the camera, the image data representing a drone base station; 
 detecting objects on the drone base station arranged in a pattern; 
 comparing, using the maintained first data, the pattern of detected objects to at least one of the two or more predetermined patterns; 
 determining an identity of the drone base station using the comparison of the pattern of detected objects and the stored pattern of objects; 
 detecting a change in the pattern of the objects; 
 determining information of an operation state of the drone base station using the change in the pattern of the objects; and 
 performing a navigation action using the information of the operational state of the drone base station. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The drone of  claim 8 , wherein the information comprises information indicating the drone base station is unable to provide a base station amenity, and wherein the action comprises determining to skip docking with the drone base station. 
     
     
       10. The drone of  claim 9 , wherein the drone base station amenity includes battery charging at a particular speed. 
     
     
       11. The drone of  claim 9 , wherein the drone base station amenity includes wireless charging. 
     
     
       12. The drone of  claim 8 , wherein the information comprises information indicating a landing procedure for the drone base station, wherein the landing procedure includes a preferred pose of the drone for landing. 
     
     
       13. The drone of  claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise:
 receiving, from the drone base station, an alert that indicates that an object of the pattern is obscured. 
 
     
     
       14. The drone of  claim 1 , including a light, wherein the operations comprise:
 activating the light to illuminate the two or more objects on the drone base station; and 
 activating the camera to generate at least some of the image data when the light is illuminating the two or more objects on the drone base station. 
 
     
     
       15. The drone of  claim 1 , wherein comparing the orientation of the two or more objects in the pattern to the predetermined orientation of corresponding objects comprises:
 determining a first distance between a first object of the two or more objects and a second object of the two or more objects and a second distance between the first object and a third object of the two or more objects. 
 
     
     
       16. A computer-implemented method comprising:
 maintaining, in memory and for two or more drone base stations, (i) first data that represents predetermined patterns of a plurality of objects that can be displayed on the respective base station and indicate a service offered by the respective base station and (ii) second data for an identity of the respective base station, the two or more drone base stations each corresponding to a predetermined pattern from two or more predetermined patterns, a first predetermined pattern from the two or more predetermined patterns being a different pattern than a second predetermined pattern from the two or more predetermined patterns; 
 receiving, from a camera of a drone, image data representing a drone base station; 
 detecting an orientation of two or more objects on the drone base station arranged in a pattern; 
 in response to detecting the orientation of the two or more objects on the drone base station arranged in the pattern, determining a predetermined pattern for the drone base station by comparing, for at least one of the two or more predetermined patterns and using the maintained first data and the orientation of the two or more objects, the orientation of the two or more objects in the pattern to a predetermined orientation of corresponding objects from the respective predetermined pattern; 
 determining, from a plurality of identities for base stations that have a corresponding pattern from the two or more predetermined patterns, an identity of the drone base station using the predetermined pattern for the drone base station; and 
 navigating the drone using the identity of the drone base station. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 maintaining the data in memory and for the two or more drone base stations comprises maintaining, for at least some of the two or more drone base stations, fourth data that indicates a geographic location for the respective base station, wherein navigating the drone using the identity of the drone base station comprises: 
 determining, using the fourth data, a location of the drone based on the identity of the drone base station and the geographic location of the identified base station. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16 , wherein navigating the drone using the identity of the drone base station comprises:
 determining a pose of the drone based on the identity of the drone base station and a stored location of the identified base station. 
 
     
     
       19. The drone of  claim 1 , wherein determining the identity of the drone base station comprises:
 determining, using the identity of the drone base station, a drone base station service offered to a drone that docks with the drone base station. 
 
     
     
       20. The drone of  claim 19 , wherein the drone base station service includes charging a drone that docks with the drone base station.